The 73rd Hunger Games
by elianayonan
Summary: Desi Romnisce is the girl tribute from District 3. And the boy tribute is her brother Ryder. And when she meets a boy that ties in with her mentors Beetee's past, Desi learns the true meaning of love, survival, friends, and family.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

The district is silent today. Not that it isn't ever silent – because it most always is – but this was a special silence. An eerie silence. One that if you were visiting from anywhere else (even though that is forbidden), you'd instantly know that something was wrong. An eerie sensation that takes over your body. And this is no good sensation: this is a bad one you never want to get.

This is the day of the reaping. The day where a girl and a boy from the ages of twelve-eighteen are picked to compete in the Hunger Games: a fight to the death. The Capitol, our ruling government, says these games are an honor to compete in. When truth is, nobody wants to compete in these games.

They're punishing us. Almost a century ago, the thirteen districts under the Capitol's rule started an uprising against the Capitol. The Capitol wiped out District 13, and what was left were District's one-twelve, poor as ever. They made the Hunger Games to show that this is what we get for making that happen. And the rules are simple: kill or be killed. And that's where nobody wants to get involved.

There are twenty-four contestants in total, called tributes, but only one makes it out alive. The Capitol does this to make us remember what happened long ago: they take our children and kill them in the games. I've heard people go crazy when they're in the games. I suspect the Capitol's laugh when they watch us hyperventilate or dehydrate from not enough water.

The funny thing is the Capitol convinces us that this is some sort of fun sporting event. They say it's a celebration: a festival. Bull shit is what I say to that. I'm always bored during those long speeches, and I am allowed to be. I've heard them four times already: and two more times I'll have to hear them until I can finally be freed from the reaping.

Another thing about the Capitol is their perfection. Their makeup, their hair, their clothes, their writing. Everything is perfect about them. They can't take a mistake. The slightest one and they cry. But what do we do? We laugh.

When they come, there's this huge stage set up in a vacant area where there used to be libraries and shopping malls. When the rebellion came out, though, they were destroyed. Nobody goes there anymore – we all pass it cautiously – until the reaping comes around and were forced to stand on the very ground where precious places were destroyed.

On the stage are five chairs, two for the tributes, one for the mayor, one for a past winner from your district, and one for the escort that comes from the Capitol. They select the names of the tributes. Next to the chairs on both sides are two big clear balls, one for the boys and one for the girls, filled with names of every person in the district on them. That is how they pick the tributes: randomly. And then there's a podium just a few feet upstage from the chairs where they read the names of the tributes.

I'm getting ready for the reaping when my little brother walks in. He examines me with intent eyes. He glances at my clothes – a long blue dress with buttons running down the middle up to my chest area, and ankle-length socks with Oxfords – and then starts to speak.

"Am I gonna die?" he asks in a quiet voice. I gaze over at my twelve year old brother, his big hazel eyes staring right into mine. He's wearing a beige collared shirt and dark kakis. His name was Ryder, and this was his first year when he would participate in the reaping. I stand up and walk to him. I bend down and clutch his hands.

"No Ryder. Never. You're so smart and clever. And besides, your name is only on one slip of paper. There's no way you'll be picked out of all the boys in District 3."

"But what if I do get picked?" he asks. I sigh, and caress his hair.

"You won't. I promise." I grab hold of his hand, feeling him quiver. His face becomes very pale, and his eyes enlarge when we're outside. Parents are hugging their children, crying for their lives. Some are boys, some are girls. I recognize few of them from school, but don't pay much attention to them. I try not to show my emotions so that when he looks up at me, he won't be scared.

We come to the reaping. The stage is set up, and children are already waiting for the reaping to start. We both make our way to a small table just before the entrance. Ryder doesn't know this, but before people can enter, a sample of their blood must be taken first. When he does see this though, he stops and doesn't move. I drag him on, and the woman holds out her hand to him.

"Hand please," she says in a monotonous manner. He's keeps away, but reluctantly gives her his hand after a few seconds. She takes a needle, and pricks it in his flesh. He gives a little yelp, and then she takes the blood and smears it on a piece of paper. And then his name appears next to it. "Hand please," she says to me. I give her my hand, and she repeats the process of what she did to Ryder. My name appears. Desi Romnisce.

I escort Ryder to where he must stand. He stands between two boys that are the same age as him. When I start walking to the girl's side, he grabs hold of my hand. "Where are you going? Stay."

"I can't Ryder; I have to go to the girl's side." He releases his grip, and nods. I kiss his forehead quickly, and then scurry off to my side. I stand all the way at the end next to a girl that I knew from school. Mince has short red hair with lots of freckles. Her whole body was small, and she was an awkward girl.

"Hello Desi," Mince says as I stand next to her.

"Hello Mince," I respond, fiddling with a loose strand on my dress. She didn't talk to me again for the whole reaping session. We wait patiently until finally our escort from the Capitol comes on stage to start announcing the names of the tributes for this year.

Entering the stage is Eustachia Alcove, the woman picking out names for the tributes and the escort from the Capitol. She's quite peculiar: today her color is pink. She's got pink hair, a pink blouse, a pink skirt that runs just below her knee, and pink makeup. Her eyeliner is so detailed and bright that I can see it from the back row. I draw my attention from Eustachia, and look over at the boys side, seeing them looking handsome and well fixed up. Colver, my best friend, is standing almost in the back, since he's seventeen years old: one year older than me. He catches me looking at him, and he gives a little nod. I return the nod.

"Welcome to the 73rd annual Hunger Games!" Eustachia squeaks into the microphone. "And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!" Those same words always haunted me; because for two unlucky people, odds were never in their favor. "Please welcome the Mayor while he gives a speech about the history of Panem and the Hunger Games!" She claps, and sits down in the last chair of the row, closest to the girls' clear ball with the names in it. The mayor stands up, and starts speaking.

"As you know, Panem was made up of thirteen districts. We lived peacefully until an uprising…" And that was all I hear from the speech. I block out the rest, and try to catch a glimpse of Ryder, but he's too far away for me to see him. I ponder what he is thinking, and then I glance at the ball with the boy's names on them. One of them had my brother's name written on it. I look back at Colver. The whole time he's been staring at me.

"And now, let us pick our tributes!" I look back at the stage, and see that the Mayor is sitting on one of the chairs. Esutachia is up at the microphone. "Ladies first!" She gives a fake and cheesy smile and then walks to the clear ball with the girl's names written on them. My stomach churns as she dips her hand into the opening at the top of the ball. She pulls out a slip of paper, and then walks back to the microphone. She unfolds the slip of paper and says, "Desi Romnisce! Congratulations Desi!"

I know I'm supposed to be walking up stage, but I can't move my legs. The feeling is gone in them. Mince whispers "Good luck" and then the peacekeepers are coming to retrieve me. Reluctantly I move my legs towards the stage. I let Eustachia take my hand and help me up. And now there is a clear view of Ryder. I see him crying. I want to run down the stage and hold him, but I can't. So I look out to Colver, and see he's holding back tears too. Without knowledge, Eustachia walks over and picks the boy's name. She walks back to the microphone, and says the name. "Ryder Romnisce! Congratulations Ryder!"

"No!" I yell. I refuse for him to be a tribute. "That's my brother!" Ryder is being escorted onto the stage. I can't take the pain though, and I can't bear to look at Ryder's sunken face. Right when he's on stage, he dashes towards me and grasps my waist. He cries into my stomach, and I caress his hair.

"How exciting! A brother and sister fighting to the death! The exhilaration!" I glare at her, still holding my brother in my arms. It wasn't possible that we were both picked. I tried to convince myself that my brother wasn't just picked along with me, but it was true. "Ladies and Gentlemen, out two tributes! Come along you two!" She leads us behind the stage. A door suddenly opens, and she pushes us lightly inside. I look back to see Colver once again, but the door closes in front of my face and I'm blocked from the outside world.

She's leading me into a room. When we're only two feet away from the door, it magically opens and she gives me a little nudge. I step into the room, and turn around. "Can Ryder come with me?"

"Oh alright," she says, pushing Ryder into the room. "Friends and family will be able to come in and say their goodbyes. And then we will be going to the trains." She exits the room, and the door closes behind her.

"Oh Ryder," I say, clutching his shoulders. He wipes away some tears that fall from his face. "Don't worry Ryder; I won't let you die during the games. You'll be safe with me. Safe and- sound."

Colver walks in, and I let go of Ryder for a minute and topple towards him. He catches me in his arms, and pulls me into a hug. "Desi… Don't worry. You'll win."

"But what about Ryder?" I say in his chest. I turn to look at Ryder. He looks so scared and innocent. I don't want him to die. I want him to live until he's old of age, married and with kids. I turn back to Colver. "There are twenty-four of us and only once comes out Colver."

Colver clutches my shoulder. "You'll come out Desi. You or Ryder will be the victors." He grabs Ryder's hand and pulls him in. He pulls me close to his chest, and all three of us stay in that hugging position until a few Peacekeepers comes to retrieve Colver.

"Goodbye Colver," I whisper. And the door closes and I grasp Ryder's hand tight as ever. I turn to face my little brother and wipe a tear away from his cheek. "We'll be okay." I look out a grimy window that shows District 3. "We'll survive."

**Chapter Two:**

6


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Eustachia leads us to a metallic looking train, coated with silver paint and one window on each cabin. When the train pulls up and stops, a door swings open and stairs leading to a room in the train descend from the train. Eustachia starts walking up the stairs, and I clutch Ryder's hand as Peacekeepers lead us up.

Once were inside were greeted with a large buffet of food from all different assortments. There are cakes, fruits and vegetables, meat, and yogurts of all kind. Ryder licks his lips in delight, and Eustachia smirks. I don't hesitate to lick my lips as well and touch my stomach lightly. She leads us to two armchairs in the middle of the cabin. She lets us sit down on them with only two empty chairs in front of us.

"I'll go and get Beetee your mentor," Eustachia says, walking daintily away into another cabin. Immediately Ryder starts to cry: and I don't waste any time to set him on my lap and hug him.

"I'm so scared," he whispers, crying into my dress. He shudders.

"No Ryder. You'll be fine," I assure him. Though I can't tell what will happen. If Ryder does die, I don't know how I'll be able to live anymore. He meant the world to me: he was all I had left other than Colver.

All of a sudden the door to the cabin sweeps open and in comes Beetee with Eustachia. Beetee is scrawny, with glasses and a nerd looking face. He's got brown eyes and some hair left. But I remember when I was thirteen and I watched the tape of past victors and I saw his. He was so strong and so skilled back then. Ryder hops off my lap and sits back down in his assigned seat, his tears completely wiped away.

"Desi and Ryder, this is Beetee. He will be your mentor for this year's Hunger Games. Why don't you three all get acquainted and I will check with the peacekeepers to see when we will be arriving in the Capitol." She walks off back the way she came, and Beetee come and sits down opposite of us. He examines us with a stern eye.

"Hello, I'm Desi. And this is my little brother Ryder," I greet, gesturing to Ryder when I mention his name. Beetee looks at me deeply in the eyes, and then he looks at Ryder.

"Your brother?" he asks. I nod. "I'm so sorry."

"What's it like in the arena?" Ryder asks, unaware that Beetee had probably suffered a lot. Beetee sighs and shakes his head. I lightly hit Ryder's arm and he winces.

"You can never tell my dear boy. The arena terrain will change every year. There's no way to know unless you are a Gamemaker, which obviously you are not."

"Oh. What was it like for you?" Beetee sighs again.

"Ryder!" I squeal.

"No, it's fine." Beetee pauses. "Well, when I was in the arena, it was forest everywhere. The trees and plants were so peculiar, as well as the people. But I managed to pull through even if I did lose some people that I loved in the battle." Beetee looks down and I think back to watching the tapes and remember a girl from District 9 that seemed to have a liking with Beetee. But she was killed right in front of Beetee by a career and seconds later Beetee killed the career. He let the girl die in his arms.

"The one from District 9, correct?" I ask. Beetee nods.

"Her name was Greta, and I loved her: even if we only spent three days together in the arena." Beetee pauses and then looks into my eyes. "How'd you know about her? When I was in the arena you weren't even born yet."

"I watched the tapes from your games. And I recognize you from them. How much did you love her?" I ask, leaning forward and clutching Ryder's hand. His palm is sweaty.

"Very much. She was-" Interrupting Beetee was of course Eustachia who was giddy as ever. She sat in the one empty chair next to Beetee. Everything became awkward, the air filled with silence.

"Only about an hour from now until we're there!" she exclaims. Beetee looks out the only window and gazes at the trees. Through the glasses I can faintly make out Beetee's eyes becoming watery and red. Eustachia was still smiling though, eying me and Ryder as our eyes skim the floor. "We're a bit sleepy huh? No matter! Help yourself to some food!"

Nobody moves. Eustachia smirks. "Oh I see. We're a bit nervous, aren't we?" I roll my eyes secretly as look out the window and watch the tress fly past us.

"How fast is the train going?" I ask. Eustachia smiles brightly.

"Seventy-five miles an hour!" she says in a bragging tone. I nod my head and start to bit my nails. I've always had this habit of biting my nails: I could chew on them forever. "Oh no no no!" Eustachia squeaks, pulling my hand out of my mouth. I scowl at her. "No biting nails! That is un lady like!"

"Well you're un human like," I mumble to myself.

There's another silence. It's as if everything in the world had dropped dead except for the wheels of the train, rolling on the tracks to the place I dreaded most. Ryder plays with his fingers in his lap, Beetee is off in a world for himself, Eustachia is cross-legged dazing off into her own little world, and I'm thinking about what I am going to do in the games. Having watched previous tapes, I know what it's like. I know what happens at that silver horn right in the middle. I know what the Careers do.

And we'll be first when they come to kill us.

I feel sick. I clutch my stomach in pain. Nobody seems to notice other than myself. I lurch forward, and suddenly Beetee takes action. He runs to my side. "Desi? You alright? You need something? Food; water?"

I shake my head and just barely say, "The bathroom." Eustachia stands up and clasps her arm around mine.

"I will take her, don't worry. You stay with Ryder," she says, and she quickly runs me to the nearest bathroom saying "You'll be fine" or "Just wait until we get there" or "Breath, breath".

We reach the bathroom and I sigh in relief, sprinting to the toilet and throwing up liquids. The train shakes, making my forehead hit the toilet seat. I groan and Eustachia strokes my back comfortably, but it doesn't help that much. I keep puking up liquids and clutching my stomach in pain. There went all my determination, all my strength, all my power, all my pride, being flushed down the toilet in a sick orange color. Once I feel more stable, I press my back against the stall door. My head hurts. I can't feel my body.

"Desi, are you alright?"

Does it look like I'm alright? Does it look like I'm fine even if I just threw up half of the liquid in my stomach? Yes Eustachia, I'm as healthy as a newborn baby and I didn't just throw up. I'm perfectly fine and I don't need you.

"I'm just scared" was all I could make out before I start banging my head against the stall door repeatedly. This was all I needed. Get sick right in front of my brother who is scared out of his life and prove that I am mature and that I can handle this perfectly fine.

"The Games aren't as bad as everyone says darling," Eustachia says, trying to comfort me in my misery. But it doesn't work: for I had already seen the terror in everyone's eyes at the reaping and I had already watched tapes of the bloodbath in the Cornucopia: and I knew for sure that in fact, everything was set up the way they wanted it to be. Everyone but one would die in a sickly and terrible way. And I would probably be the first one killed. "Come on, let's get your hands washed up and then we'll get you back where Beetee and Ryder are waiting." I stand up and cleanse my hands with the warm faucet water. We walk back to the room and I catch Ryder listening intently to Beetee, his eyes wide and excited. Beetee is telling a story, but he stops when he sees me and Eustachia walking into the room.

"Desi, Beetee was telling me about all the mutations in the games. Be careful of tracker jackers and mutts, because they're the worst. And also those pink birds that pick at your neck. Those are pretty bad too. And then there's the-"

Whatever Ryder was telling me I tuned out to. He was so interested – so intrigued by the games and what happened in them. His eyes were wide and his diction was intent. I wasn't sure when he stopped speaking or if he is done speaking, but I smile. And that made him smile too.

"Wow Ryder, you already know so much about the games don't you?" Eustachia chimes in, giggling. Ryder's cheeks flush a pink color, and he nods. I go and sit with him on my lap. He looks as if he was that six year old boy I knew so long ago, always asking questions and wanting stories for entertainment. I ruffle my hands through his hair, and he squirms in my lap.

"You _know _I don't like it when you mess up my hair like that!" he squeals, patting down his hair making it look messier then before. I smirk at the little boy in my lap. For someone so young, he is so keenly aware of everybody and of everything.

Beetee and Eustachia babble on and on about a strategy in the games. Ryder asks for a story. "What kind of story do you want?" I ask. He places his head on my right shoulder and shrugs.

"One about North America." Ryder's favorite stories were the ones I completely made up about the country that was wiped away before Panem came. I thought for a moment, trying to pick out characters and a plot.

"Well one day there was a man. He was walking on the street without a care in the world, just humming a little tune and picking out little scenes around him. He suddenly ran into a girl and quickly apologized to her. She responded back that it was fine, and as they both started walking away, they bumped into each other again. They laughed and helped each other back up into a stable position. He introduced himself and she said introduced herself to him too. They kept talking until the man asked, "When can I see you again?" and the woman responded, "Soon." So they met up a few other times and talked.

Later, maybe several years or so, he popped the question of marriage. She said yes, and they got married and lived happily ever after. That is, until the destruction of the world." Ryder's eyes are closed, and he is breathing slowly and calmly. "She was sent to safety, and she lived. But he was sent away from her, and he died during the destruction." I pause, biting my lip. "But she was pregnant with a girl, and she just happened to give birth to a new generation. You still awake?"

Ryder nods.

Little did he know that the woman and the man were his parents.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

The Capitol was just like the train.

Silver and metallic. That was what first comes to mind when I step of the train, grasping Ryder's arm tightly. I am too paranoid to think of anyone right now: the people around us still look untrustworthy and fake.

Eustachia takes the front of the line while Ryder and I hold back behind her. Beetee is behind us, keeping a stern eye around everyone. Once we enter the city area, we are attacked with cameras and people trying to get a glimpse of the District 3 tributes. They're calling out me and Ryder's names; like chanting. I glance down at Ryder sneakily and see he is smiling shyly. I look up at the people and snarl at them: their fake hair and overdone makeup: their expensive and seductive clothes, and their pointy shoes. I hate them all.

"Why are they chanting our names?" Ryder asks quietly.

"They love us," I respond, trying to say something that would soothe Ryder. But the real reason stays deep down in my body: it was because they were ready for us to die. They wanted to see our blood, and watch us in pain as we die.

"Are they nice people?" he asks.

"They're-"

"Well of course they are Ryder!" Eustachia interrupts, throwing her hands in the air. She giggles, and waves at the people, smiling and beaming. Ryder glances up at me, his eyebrow cocked. I roll my eyes and he chuckles quietly at Eustachia. "Everyone here is so kind and cannot wait to see you and know you!"

We come to the Remake Center where we will be staying for the next week until the games start. It's a tall and lean building coated a silver color. It was quite beautiful, even coming from someone that lived in the Seam and hated the Capitol. A cold rush of air hits our faces as we walk into the building. Peacekeepers surround the premises as if we were in jail. Which it felt as if we were. All the way at the end of the long and broad hall are two elevators. Eustachia leads us to the one on the left, and presses the up button. She turns to me and Ryder, and smirks.

"This is the elevator. This will take you to your room." The door opens magically and all four of us step in. Eustachia presses the button on the right side of the elevator that says 3 and up we go. The door opens only a few seconds later and revealed to us is a room.

There was a kitchen with advanced materials that I had never heard of before. Past the kitchen there were two sliding doors on each side of the room. There was a long window that ran across the end of the room, reflecting the Capitol outside. It was beautiful.

"Gorgeous, huh?" Eustachia says, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nod.

"Yeah, it really is." My eyes immediately shoot to the food on the table, already set up for us to devour.

"This place is big," Ryder comments. Eustachia chuckles, I smile, and Ryder laughs a bit as well. "Where's our room?"

"Right this way children." Eustachia takes us just ten steps down the room's length to get to the two sliding doors that I saw before. She is only a foot away from one of the doors when it magically opens, revealing a room. She gestures to me, and I step inside and feel the warmth of the room. I inhale the sweet smell of strawberries and flowers, and then turn back to Eustachia. "You like it?"

"Yes. It smells wonderful."

I realize that there is more to the Capitol then watching people die and watching people suffer. There is more to laughing and being preppy all the time and wearing silly clothes and bright and heavy makeup. There was more to all of that. There was peace.

"I will take Ryder next door to his room: in the meanwhile dinner will be soon." I clutch my stomach and nod. Eustachia leads Ryder towards his room, and the door closes once they're a foot away from it. I look around the room, and spot someone in the corner. She is wearing a red jumpsuit, with a white line running down the middle, enlarging in the middle of the slit and becoming compact at the ends. Her hands are crossed over her waist and held tightly together, and her head is face down. She has got ginger hair compressed into a bun that lies at the top of her head. Her eyes are closed.

"What's your name? I'm Desi." I outstretch my hand in hopes she would shake mine, but she stays still and does not shake my hand. I awkwardly place my hand back to my side and look away from the girl.

"You know they're Avox's, correct?" I jerk my head up and see Beetee entering my room. I face the girl again, and then look back at Beetee. "They don't have tongues, so they cannot speak," he explains, stepping closer to me. He places his hands on my shoulders once he is by me. "They were cut off." Without releasing myself from Beetee's grasp, I turn my head towards the girl for verification. She nods.

"Beetee, can you tell me more about Greta?" Of course I do not want to sound pushy, so I add "Only if you are comfortable." Beetee ruffles up my hair and sits me down on the bed. I run my hands along the silky cover, looking down at its majesty. The silver seems to reflect against everything: eccentric squares outlining the covers. Beetee sits next to me.

"Greta was from District 9. I met her when her fellow boy tribute from her District, Bickler, was murdered by a career. I was walking past bushes and trees when I heard a scream. I started running, and I found Greta lying next to Bickler, the Career tribute running away. I grabbed her shoulders but stunned her, which made her scared of me. She threatened to kill me: then I dropped my knives and wires and showed her I was good. She believed me and we formed an alliance.

"You could say Greta was love at first sight, even if the first time I saw her she was on the verge of killing me. We gave each other our extra food scrapings, we shared a blanket and switched off night watches, though usually she would sleep and I would be in charge of watching over her and me. The nights were cold: she used my blanket most often. I didn't mind though." Beetee pauses and looks down, and I know the big important part that comes next in their story.

"And then what happened?" I ask, pretending I did not know what was coming and what Beetee would have to endure through just so I could gain knowledge of the games.

"Well we stayed together for the rest of the time, talking and laughing about the Capitol behind their backs, though obviously we knew there was a camera. In fact, they heard us. They sent birds to kill Greta, but I was quicker and smarter and stopped them before they could peck at her neck repeatedly. I then used my wire skills to turn off all the cameras airing the games, and then turned them back on at different times to confuse the Capitol. Oh the days of laughter and fun where me and Greta were free from the wrath.

"And then, Greta went off to find some more food, while I searched for water with both our canteens in my hands. I found a pond and started putting water in the drinking can when I heard a scream: and it was Greta's. I started running until my legs hurt, and then I found her with a career standing above her with a bloody knife. She was twitching on the floor, blood coming out of her skin. I threw a knife at the career, not even knowing I possessed knife skills. It pierced him right in the stomach area, and it took a few second for him to finally die. I ran to Greta's side and held her in my arms, telling her I was sorry and that it was my entire fault she was dying. She didn't have time to respond because she died shortly after my apology, letting out only two words. "Beetee, I-" And then she was gone with the wind. And then a cannon blew and I felt alone as ever."

I'm stunned. Words aren't processing in my mouth, and I can't find anything to say to him. The poor man watched the woman he loved die right in front of his eyes. Just imagining Ryder dying right in front of my own pairs… "I'm so sorry," I stammer. Beetee shrugs.

"Everything good has to go someday. She was so good and pure. I guess that day was someday." Beetee stands up, patting my leg. "Don't be late for dinner. I remember I did that once: my escort got very mad and sent me back to my room without dinner the first night. I tried to go to dinner as early as I can the rest of the time there. My escort and I did not get along." I chuckle and Beetee smirks, pushing his glasses up the rim of his nose. "Don't worry Desi. Everything good goes away someday. Just remember that." He steps through the door and points at me. "You will regret being late missy. I suggest you get out of your reaping clothes and into some nice clothes provided in the closet to you left." Beetee walks out and the door slides closed.

I stand up and face my Avox. "What should I wear?" I ask. She starts walking, her eyes still glued to the floor, towards my closet. She opens the doors and being exposed are clothes piling up and around the shelves. I gasp, and the Avox pulls out an outfit and hands it to me. She bows and walks back to her same spot, this time facing the wall and giving me privacy. I take off my clothes from the reaping and hang the shirt in front of my face to inspect it. It was a blue shirt with a high hem that is braided across the border. It is silky and shiny. Basic black pants complete the outfit. I place the shirt over my head and onto my body, fixing the fabric to make it more presentable. I stretch my legs into the pants and button them. I sit on the bed, and glance at the Avox. She hasn't moved since Beetee made the exclamation of her not having a tongue and not being able to speak. What caused her to have her tongue cut off? Did she do something to disrespect the Capitol? Was she in the games? Questions ran through my head that would never be answered by the girl that caused them.

I exit the room. Different avox's are setting the table with silver plates and silverware, and different assortments of food all placed in the middle of the long and slender mahogany table. They look up at me simultaneously, as if they can all feel my presence at the exact same time, and then go back to fixing up the table for dinner. After another minute of standing patiently, staring at them work, they all line up in front of me horizontally and bow. They walk off back to different corners of the room where they cross their arms over their waist, lace their finger together, and then sink their head down.

Eustachia enters the kitchen. "What a beautiful evening! Look at the stars!" I turn around and glance out the long window, seeing thousands of stars illuminate the Capitol. Who knew such majesty and brightness could make the Capitol seem so pure and happy? "Come sit at the table and take some food!" she exclaims, pulling out a seat for me. I saunter towards the table and sit in the seat. Beetee walks in with changed clothes, escorting Ryder to the seat next to mine. Ryder sits and grasps my hand from under the table. I give him a reassuring squeeze. Beetee sits across from Ryder, and Eustachia sits across from me. I glance around at her, seeing she is already picking at the salad and mashed potatoes in the middle. "Eat everyone!"

It takes a minute, but I finally reach into the steamed vegetables and lift them close to my plate. They are placed in a clear bowl, and a large and silver spoon is dipped into the contents. I grab the end of the spoon and scoop up some vegetables and place them on my plate, letting the peas slide around while the carrots, corn, and green beans hit the plate with a small _thump. _Ryder issues his turn, and reaches for a piece of bread right in front of him. He takes a little bite and I can hear him sighing with relief. I reach for a roll as Beetee does, and I take a big bite of it. The bread was warm and chewy in my mouth, a sensation I hadn't felt for a long time. I finish the bread in less than a minute.

"Don't get too excited; the main course will be out in a minute." I stare at Eustachia as she giddily takes another bite of her potatoes.

"This isn't the main course?" I question, pointing to the food. Eustachia is occupied with food in her mouth, so Beetee steps in and says, "Nope. Just wait until that comes out." Ryder giggles, and as if on cue waiters are placing the main course on empty spots of the table. They pick up empty bowls and walk away. I gaze at the food in amazement. Sliced turkey with gravy, steak with more potatoes and butter, grilled sandwiches: anything you could ever imagine is placed on the table in front of me. Never had I been so keenly aware of my mouth wet.

I start with the turkey and pour little gravy on it. But once I dig my knife deep into the middle of the meat where it is pink, place it I some gravy, and eat it, I crave for more. I grab another slice of turkey with the knife and fork and place it on my plate. I stuff it into my mouth in only about five minutes. I glance up at everyone.

Ryder finishes his food quickly. Beetee takes time to eat his food, to chew on it and digest it. Eustachia is still picking out the different food to put on her plate and eat. My stomach feels like a rock, pleading me to stop filling it with food. I obey the order and push my plate away. "Thank you for the dinner Eustachia."

"Darling it is my absolute pleasure!" she squeals.

"Let's discuss tomorrow," Beetee says after finishing his last bite of steak. Ryder and I direct out attention to him. "Tomorrow marks the day you will ride through the Capitol and be 'introduced' to them. You each have designers and a prep team that will suit to you for clothes, makeup, etc. Remember, first impressions last a longtime, so I would make sure you get them to like you, or it's no sponsors in the games."

Sponsors. I had completely forgotten about the sponsors that could make us or break us in the Games. They sent us supplies in the games – whether it'd be food or medicine or whatever you needed – in little silver parachutes. It was easy – get people to like you from the Capitol and you were on the home-run plate for sponsors. And getting them all mattered tomorrow when riding though the Capitol.

"Yes," Ryder responds. My head jerks up to Beetee.

"Desi?"

"Huh?"

"Do you understand?" I look at Ryder, then Beetee, then Eustachia. I nod. "Excellent. I guess we should be getting ready for bed then?" Beetee pushes away from the table and stands up from his chair, placing his napkin that was formerly on his lap on the table. We all do the same, walking back to our rooms.

"Get some sleep children. Tomorrow is a big day as Beetee said." Eustachia and Beetee walk somewhere past our rooms and through another hallway where two doors are located. They each enter one.

"Can you tell me a story Desi?" Ryder asks, tugging on my shirt. I nod and guide him to his room. His room is basically the same as mine. I sit him on my lap on the bed and sigh. "I want the one where you and Colver met."

"Okay." I think back to the day of meeting Colver. "I was in the fields one day, playing with the knives I had acquired – er… stole actually – throwing them around and aiming at trees and things, in preparation for later years in case I was selected to be in the games. I wanted to start my training early like how the people in District 1, 2, and 4 did. I threw few knives at the tree and they plunged into the trunk. And then I threw one knife past the tree, and it almost hit a boy hunting. We stared at each other for a long time before I said, "Sorry!" The boy walked towards me."

"Then what happened?" Ryder asks.

"Well we started talking, he told me his name was Colver and I told him mine was Desi. We met back at that spot every day for the past few years until of course, today came and there was no way to see him since we were both attending the reaping. And then I was reaped and you know what happened then." I bow my head and Ryder rests his head on my shoulder. "Time for bed buddy."

Ryder yawns and replies, "But I'm not tired!" I carry him into the covers and place the covers over his body so just his head pops out. I kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight Ryder. I love you." I start to walk out of the door when I hear a small, "I love you too Desi" back. I smile and look down, then exit the room and saunter to mine. I run my hand over my arm, feeling thick goosebumps grow. It is freezing.

I climb into bed and sigh in relief. I close my eyes. I fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

We are taken to another part of the Remake Center where our stylists and prep team will meet us to get us ready for the tribute parade. When we enter a big room filled with people from the Capitol and other district tributes, Ryder and I are immediately separated. He is taken by a Peacekeeper to a room all the way towards the end of the long room. I am taken to the opposite end and placed in a room with a metal table right in the middle and different supplies on table surrounding the one in the middle. I sit on the table and wait for my prep team and stylist to come out.

I suspect my prep team comes out first since there are three of them. There are two girls and one boy that look as if they are from the Capitol. "Hello Desi. I am Blick, and this is Trisha and Relique. We are your prep team," the man Blick says. His blonde hair is greased back, and his body is very built up. The two girls Trisha and Relique look like sisters: they look exactly alike with their brown hair tied up and deep green eyes. They smile simultaneously.

In walks another man. He is wearing a black shirt and black pants with dress shoes. He has dark skin, and chocolate eyes. He wears dark eyeliner, heavy over his eyes. He has two piercings on each ear. "Hello. I'm Prodeus, your stylist." He steps in front of me and examines me from head to toe. He nods and scratches his chin. I notice a little beard growing out.

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask eyeing him. "Gonna make me look fake?"

"I'm gonna make you look presentable," he responds, a hint of sarcasm somewhere in his voice. He smirks, and walks towards a brush on the table. I follow him with my eyes as he takes the brush in his hand and twists it. The prep team suddenly holds me down and Prodeus starts brushing out the tangles in my hair. I snarl at him.

"That hurts!" I yell. Prodeus shrugs and continues to brush out the large knots at the back of my hair. I lurch forward when he pulls, digging my finger nails into the metal table, trying to keep from killing this man from all the pain he is delivering to me.

"Hold still and it might not hurt," Prodeus responds calmly. I follow his orders and keep still while he brushes. And to tell the truth, not much hurt after that. My Prep Team continues to glamour me up while Prodeus stands in front of me and gives them orders on what to do with my hair and makeup. "I'll be right back Desi; I'm going to get your outfit." He walks behind the table through a door at the back of the room, disappearing for only a second. He comes back out with a gold jumpsuit, sparkling off the light in the room. I place my hand on the fabric, feeling it to be metallic and sturdy.

"It's amazing," I comment as Blick smears blush over my cheeks. Relique plasters on lipstick once I make my comment and Trisha applies eyeliner over and below my eyes.

"I made it myself. I thought maybe you could use a spark in you. Lightning girl."

"Lightning? What does that have to do with my District, which by the way is electronics," I explain, but Prodeus is off in his own world with the jumpsuit in his hands. He looks back at me.

"I wanted something more than just 'wires' and 'electronics'. I wanted something that produces light." His face brightens up. "I wanted lightning."

I take off my clothes while Prodeus and Trisha secure the dress on me. It fits perfectly, not a strand out of place and not a wrinkle to be seen. I gaze in the mirror. The suit fits and looks wonders on me. I smile lightly and crack a glance at Prodeus' reflection in the mirror. He's smirking at me. "Like it?"

"Yes," I say. I chuckle lightly, and turn to face him fully. "Thank you Prodeus, Blick, Relique, and Trisha. For making me look… Presentable." They laugh.

"You're welcome," Blick, Trisha, and Relique say simultaneously.

"My pleasure lightning girl," Prodeus states. "Better get you out there and on your chariot. Oh, I almost forgot." He runs back into the room and scurries back out with golden high heeled shoes in his hand. He hands them to me and I place them on my feet and walk around the floor to get comfortable. "Do they feel alright?" I nod.

As I walk out of the room, I see Ryder. His platinum blonde hair completely sticks out in his own male version of my jumpsuit. I grab his hand and ruffle his soft hair with my loose fingers. He swats t my hand. "Hey! They just did my hair!"

I chuckle, and Prodeus comes to escort us to the chariot along with Beetee and Eustachia. Just across the dressing room are chariots lined up in front of a big door. We are placed on the third chariot to the front, and I already see District 1 in front of us ready. The girl is wearing a long and luxurious silver dress, and the boy is wearing a tightly fitted silver suit. They're tall and the boy is very muscular. District 2 comes up and stands in front of us. Our horses whimper a bit at the sight of people, but calm down as a horse tender pats their noses. The District 2 girl wears heavy armor equipped for a girl: same for the boy put equipped for a male. I look back around, but the District 4 tributes are blocking everyone else behind me. I turn back around and loom out front as a horn issues the big door to open. Our chariot starts a few seconds later and Ryder grasps my hand.

The District 1 chariot starts out, the Capitol cheering loudly for them. The District 2 chariot makes its way out of the Remake Center dressing area and lets the Capitol devour themselves into their costumes. And then our chariot goes and people are cheering.

"Look at that! Ladies and Gentlemen may I present to you the brother and sister tributes from District 3!" Claudius Templesmith says into the microphone. Caesar Flickerman cheers as well, laughing into the microphone.

"What a stunning… What is that on the District 3 tributes?" People are gasping, and I look at my clothes. The light reflecting off of me and Ryder's jumpsuit turns into big flashes of electricity. Lightning…

"Wow! Caesar have you ever seen anything quite like that?" Claudius asks. I look at Ryder, and see he has sparks of electricity on his suit as well. I find Prodeus in the audience of Capitol people, and watch as he puts his index finger to his lips. I smirk and look ahead, smiling with Ryder's hand still in mine.

"-Very nice entrance from District 11, and there's District 12 the last of them all! Friends this has been one of the most exciting tribute parades I've witnessed." Claudius agrees with Caesar and then the chariots come to a stop in front of a big stage with a balcony above it. President Snow walks out to the microphone, looking old and wrinkly. His white hair gives off the sense that he is in the late ages of his life. Ryder glances up and stares at President Snow. I see Snow look down at Ryder's face. His eyes are locked on Ryder's, snakelike images dancing around in the pupil. An evil soul for an evil face.

"Welcome tributes, to the Capitol. We hope you spend a good last week here, and may the odds be ever in your favor during the Games." Snow stops speaking and has a Peacekeeper help him down from a stand and back to his seat. I chuckle lightly at his old age. He wouldn't last another year. And then we would have a new President and they would ban the Games. Or they would make the Games possibly two times a year. I shudder at the thought as the chariot pulled out of the parade area and back to the Remake Center style studio. I grasp Ryder's arm and we jump off the chariot towards Beetee, Eustachia, and Prodeus. My prep team lingers back. I take one step forward but immediately run into a boy.

"Sorry," I say jumping back a bit.

"My fault, sorry." I glance at the boy. He has red hair and deep green eyes. His district partner walks off quickly while he waits and stares at me for a few seconds.

"Holden!" The boy runs off and my eyes follow him running towards his District partner. He wraps his arm around her lower waist and leans in to kiss her. I look down and sigh. The boy sneaks a look back at me over his shoulder and a little bit of hope flutters back into my body. But I ignore it and continue walking to everyone only a few feet away from me.

Ryder nudges my waist and I hear him snicker. I nudge him back. "Shut up…" I mumble as we step in front of them. Eustachia gives us kisses and Prodeus and Beetee kiss my cheeks while they shake Ryder's hand.

"Excellent show you two!" Beetee compliments, sounding happier than ever.

"I agree! You were by far the most exciting chariot. But it's time to get back to the rooms and clean up. We also have to discuss tomorrow about the Training and our plans for the Games. And we will possibly talk about…" Eustachia lists the things we will discuss while guiding us out of the stylist center. The four of us – I, Ryder, Beetee, and Prodeus – linger back behind her. We come to the elevator and Eustachia presses the up button. We enter.

The door is about to fully close when I hear someone yell, "Hold the door!" I throw my arm out in front of the closing door, but wish I didn't. In came the boy – supposedly called Holden – and his District partner. Their arms were wrapped around each other. They walk to the back of the elevator, and she nuzzles her head into his chest. His eyes are locked on me: I feel his presence.

"9 please?" the girl asks. Beetee presses the 9 button. "Thank you."

"Of course," Beetee says. The door closes and up the elevator goes. It takes only a few seconds before it stops at floor 3. The door slides open, and everyone exits the elevator and enters the apartment. I turn back around to look at the boy, but I only get a small glimpse of him before the door closes. He is watching me, but looks away quickly when he notices. That's when the door closes and I'm left to wonder.

"Alright everyone, showers and then dinner! Go on Ryder! Off to the shower! Desi? Desi! Shower time darling!" Eustachia yells instructions all through the rooms. I respond with a growl and enter my room. I take off my jumpsuit and lay it on my bed in a precise, clean way. I let my hair down and rest on my shoulder, and then travel to a bathroom connected to my room. I step onto the cold marble floor. I shudder and grab a small towel and place it on the floor right by the edge of the shower ledge. I open the door to the shower and step in. I close the door and turn on the water, making sure it is as hot as it can be. I let the hot water rush down my body; it's soothing. I hum a little song I randomly make up in my head.

After washing my hair and body, I turn off the water and run my fingers through my medium length blonde hair. I step out of the shower and onto the towel. I reach for a soft robe, feeling the texture. It was soft and silky. I take it off the hanger and throw it around my body, feeling the warmth of the fabric and softness engulf my body. It smells of cream.

I walk back into my room and towards my closet. I pull out some new night clothes and place them over my body. It's very warm: as if it just came out of the core of the sun. I rest on my bed, my wet hair lying against the covers of my bed. When I look down at where my hair rested, I see a dark spot. Water has soaked through the covers and stained the bed. I shrug to myself and walk out the door of my room, meeting Beetee at the table. I sat across from him. We were the only ones.

"District 9."

"Huh?"

"The boy from the elevator was from District 9." Beetee looks under the table, and fiddles with his fingers.

"And?"

Beetee shrugs. "He kinda reminded me of Greta."

I picture him again in my mind, and then think back to what Greta looked like in the videos of Beetee's Games. Greta did possess the green eyes he did, and she had almost red hair: more of a dark brown shade. But to tell the truth: he did look like her. "You're right."

We all sit down for dinner, and eat. Beetee doesn't speak for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

We enter the Training Center. My eyes are locked on the knives and dummies. _That's my station, _I think. I start walking, leaving Ryder to thrive in whatever station he pleased. My hands skim the edges of the blades, feeling the tightness and the sharpness of them. I pick one and trace it with my fingers. A boy comes to the station and takes a long and sharp knife. He looks at me.

"You can go first," I tell him. He gives a little smile, and steps towards the dummies. He throws the knives, letting them plunge into the fabric. I look up in the balcony and see the Gamemakers drinking their wine and watching us train. One of them nudges his friends shoulder and points down to the boy that was right next to me. They both catch me staring at them, and whisper to each other. I groan as they sneak looks at me.

I tighten the grip of the knife and stand before the dummies like he had done. I glance around my shoulder and see the two Gamemakers gossiping about me are looking coldly at me. Already I infer they hate me, but I ignore them and make sure they see me throw the knife right into the dummies 'heart' area. I smirk to myself and look up at them. They're too busy clinking glasses and chugging their wine to notice my victory though. I scoff.

"Desi! Desi look at this!" I jerk my head towards Ryder, who points towards a shooting area. An arrow is right in the bull's eye, and Ryder is holding onto a bow. He jumps up and down. I smile and give him a thumb up and walk to him. Ryder looks like the five year old boy I knew so long ago, pleasantly jumping and cheering.

"Let me see that," I instruct, taking the bow from him. I grab an arrow and set it through the bow correctly. I align it with the target, and take a deep breath.

I'm about to release my fingers and let the arrow fly before someone says, "You look very professional." My arrow launches far from the target and right into the dark wall that feels as if it is millions of miles away. I moan and turn around, seeing a tall and lean boy staring down at me. He has broad shoulders and a tough looking face. His light blue eyes give off a sense of sensitivity, and his lips curve upward in a smirk.

"Thanks for messing me up," I say rudely. He shrugs and grabs his own set of arrows and a bow. He takes a spot next to me and sets the arrow in the correct position. He lets go off it in a second, and it flashes before my eyes quickly. It hits the middle of the target.

"Sure thing." He sets down the bow and holds out his hand. "I'm Bolt. I'm from District 2." I shake his hand, feeling its firmness.

"Desi, I'm from District 3." I let go of his hand and drop mine to my legs.

"I'm Ryder," Ryder pitches in from behind me. "I'm her brother."

"Brother huh?" Bolt asks, cocking an eyebrow. He directs his attention back to me. "You know, you could be of good use to the Careers."

"You don't even know what I can do."

"That's how I know you will do well."

"No thanks." His expression changes and I take Ryder's hand and walk away.

"You'll regret that District 3! You and your little brother will be the first dead!" Ryder gives a whimper and tightens the grip on my hand. I roll my eyes and ignore Bolt's comment.

"Don't be scared Ryder," I instruct, sitting him down on a large block and kneeling in front of him. He stiffens up his chest and lets his shoulders shudder.

"I don't wanna die," he whispers. I shake my head and clutch his hands. Ryder looks down for a minute and I get the sense he doesn't want to talk anymore. So I shoot my eyes to the left to see red-head boy managing knives. I stand up and stay staring at him as he throws the knife towards the dummy. My neck crooks and I watch his shoulder muscles and biceps tense and enlarge. He stands upright after throwing the knife, and averts his eyes to mine. I quickly look away and I can feel my cheeks burning up. The boy licks his lips.

At dinner that night, Eustachia thought it would be best to discuss boys.

"So I see you have a liking for that District 9 boy?" Eustachia asks, not making any eye contact with me: just with her salad. I use my fork to play around with the tomatoes on my plate, but when she says that I glare at her.

"Huh?" I question, stuffing some lettuce in my mouth and chewing.

"You remember that boy: with the red hair and super green eyes. Yes, him." Goosebumps fill my arms and run along the side. My hair sticks up. I sweat like a dog. "You like him?" Beetee coughs and I can tell he is thinking of Greta. I look at Beetee.

"His name is Holden," I say, still looking at him. Instead of seeing this old and frail Beetee, I see the young and decent looking one back in the games. His eyes look off into what seems like the distance but what in reality is the wall.

"Desi? Are you listening to me right now?"

"Huh?" My head jerks back to Eustachia.

She responds, "Did you hear what I just said?" I shake my head and Eustachia groans quietly. "I said, don't trust him."

"Why not?" Ryder pitches in.

"You cannot trust anyone in the games. Not even your district partner. Then again, I don't see Ryder turning against you Desi," Beetee responds. I set my fork down on my plate more forcefully then I should have and push my chair out and stand up. I throw down my napkin.

"You don't have the obligation to tell me who I can see and who I cannot see or become an ally with!" I yell. Ryder places his hands over his ears and Eustachia's eyes enlarge.

"Don't raise that tone of voice with me young lady…" Eustachia says, trying to keep her voice down and calm.

"Well you don't! You have no right to tell me where I go, who I talk to, and what I do! I wish you would just leave me alone and stop babying me! This will probably be my last week anyways! I don't want it to be overtaken by you and your fake, annoying, and preppy Capitol friends! I'm through with this _shit_!"

There's utter silence. Nobody moves or speaks. Ryder whimpers. "Suck it up Ryder! I'm sick of you being such a baby! You're twelve years old! You are _not _a five year old anymore! Grow up!" Ryder rushes away, crying. I realize what I'd done. "Wait Ryder-"

"Leave me alone Desi!" he yells, and then he storms off into his room.

The last thing I remember is collapsing on the floor.


End file.
